Delivery device for one-revolution cylinder cutter/creaser press



United States Patent [72] Inventors Donald D. Litt Scarsdale; David B. Jarofl', New York, N.Y. [2]] Appl. No. 788,272 [22] Filed Dec.31, 1968 [45] Patented Dec. 29, 1970 [73] Assignee Techmation Corporation Long Island City, N.Y. a corporation of New York [54] DELIVERY DEVICE FOR ONE-REVOLUTION CYLINDER CUTTER/CREASER PRESS 7 Claims, 5 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S. Cl 271/68, 271/79, 271/86 [51] Int. Cl B65h 29/04, B65h 31/10 [50] Field of Search 271/79, 77, 71, 67, 68, 73, 78, 75

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,685,873 l0/l928 Evans etal 271/80 2,374,668 5/1945 Davidson 271/79 FOREIGN PATENTS 677,480 6/! 939 Germany 271/79 Primary livaminer- Evon C. Blunk Assistant Examiner-Joseph Wegbreit An0rne vsAlbert C. Johnston, Robert E. lsner. Lewis H.

Eslinger and Alvin Sinderbrand ABSTRACT: In a one-revolution cylinder cutter/creaser press in which each sheet that has been cut and/or creased is released from the impression cylinder at the back of the latter and taken up by a delivery device including sheet grippers driven through chains and sprockets to move in a closed path having a rearwardly directed upper run connected through an arcuate path portionto a forwardly directed lower run; the grippers are opened, as by a cam, as they near the back end of the upper rearwardly directed run so that each sheet is propelled rearwardly therefrom in a discharge path which is substantially a continuation of the upper run, disclike members eccentrically mounted on a lateral rod project from below into the discharge path for glancing engagement by each'rearwardly propelled sheet to absorb part of the inertia of the sheet and to change its angle of attack for increased air resistance, whereby the sheet is slowed, guides are provided at the back and sides to guide each slowed sheet onto a reciprocable carriage when the latter is at a rearward position above a delivery pile, and each sheet is stripped from the carriage for deposit on the pile when the carriage is returned to a forward position.

PATENTFU H5229 mm 3550.934

sum 1 or 2' INVIiNTURS DONALD 0. L/TT RY DAV/D B. JA/QOFF ATTOP VEX nsuvsnv novice son ONE-REVOLUTION cvuunnn CU'I'IERICREASER PRESS SPECIFICATION This invention relates generally to one-'revolution'cylinder cutter/creaser presses, and more particularly is directed to improvements in the delivery devices of such presses.

One-revolution cylinder cutter/creaser presses, such as that the die will act against the impression cylinder, at the bot- 1 tom of the latter, to cut and/or crease each sheet gripped to the cylinder. At the back of the impression cylinder, the sheet that has been cut'and/or creased is released from the cylinder and takenup' by a delivery device including sheet grippers driven throughzchains and sprockets to move in a closed path having a rearwardly directed upper run connected through an arcuate path portion. of relatively small radius of curvature to a forwardly directed lower run.

. In the existing one-revolution cylinder cutter/creaser presses, as described, grippers of the delivery device are closed upon the leadingedge of each cut and/or creased sheet at the beginning of their upper run' to take up the sheetfrom the impression cylinder andremainclosed until the grippers enter the lower runof their 'pathwhere the are opened to transfer the sheet onto a reciprocated carriage which moves rearwardly from under suchlower run and has the sheet stripped therefrom onto an underlying delivery pile.

It will be apparent that, with the foregoing existing arrangement of the delivery device, each cut and/or. creased sheet is relatively sharply bent orcurved as it moves with the grippers holding the sheet through the arcuate path portion of small radius of curvature between the'upper, and lower runs. Such sharp bending or curving of thesheet limits the thickness of the sheet that can be cut and/or creased with the press having the existing delivery; device. F urthen-in die'cutting cardboard or the like sheets. thediecut portions of each sheet are connected to the remainder of the sheet by s'o-called nicks so that the diecut portions will not fall from the sheet during travel .through the press. The sharpbending or curving of the sheet in the existing delivery device tend'sto tear these nicks" so that it has been necessary to employ relatively large numbers of the "nicks." The: numerous nicks" thus required detract from the appearance and quality of the diecut product be delivered and hence limits therate at which the sheets can becutand/or creased; I i I Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved delivery device for one-revolution cylinder cutter/creaser presses which permits a substantial increase in the rate at which sheets may be cut and/or creased or scored 65 and delivered from the press.

on FIG.3;and 1 of the gripper path.

The above, arid other objects, features and advantages of grippers moved in a-closed path, as aforesaid, but the grippers holding the leading edge of each sheet are opened as they near the back end of the upper rearwardlly directed run, whereby each sheet is propelled or delivered-rearwardly from such upper run without being sharply bent or curved by travel through the arcuate path portion, and guiding means are disposed adjacent the back or delivery end of the upper run to absorb some of the inertia of the rearwardly propelled sheet and to cause the latter to plane, that is, to avoid downward l nosing of the sheet, whereby the sheet settles onto the ,reciprocated carriage for gentle transfer to the top of the delivery pile upon being stripped from such carriage. It is a feature of this invention to retime the reciprocation o the carriage, that is, to advance the periodic reciprocation of the carriage in relation to the movement of the grippers so th at. such carriage will be in overlying relationto the delivery pile as each sheet is propelled from'the back end of the upper run 1, FIG. 3 is a further enlarged view similar to FIG. 2, but show ing a delivery device according to this invention;

' P16. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken along the line 4-4 FIG. 5 is an enlarged detailview showing a cam provided in the delivery device according to this invention for opening the grippers thereof.

I 1 Referring tothe drawings indetail, and initially to FIG. 1

thereof, it will be seen that the conventional one-generation cylinder cutter/creaser press 10 there illustrated comprises a frame 11 within which an impression cylinder l2 is journaled.

The successive cardboard or other sheets to be cut and/or creased or scored are fed one at a time to the top of cylinder 12 from a sheet feed pile 13 by way of a suitable sheet feed device 14 and transfer grippers 15 so that each sheet has its leading edge gripped to the surfaceof cylinder 12, as by continuously inthecounter clockwise direction, as viewed, so

. that the sheet grippedto theperipheral surface of cylinder 12 moves downwardly at the front'of the latter. The cutting and/or creasing die 17 is fixed on a horizontal flat bed 18 which is mounted on rollers 19 soas to be reciprocable under impression cylinder 12. Reciprocation of bed 18 is effected in synchronism with the rotation of cylinder 12 so that die 17 will act in cooperation with the impression cylinder to cut and/or crease each sheet gripped to the surface of the cylinder as the sheet travels past the bottom of the cylinder. As shown, the drive for bed 18 may include a main,v drive shaft 19 having a crank 20 witha pin 21 engaged'by a connecting rod 22 carry- Another object is to provide ,a delivery device for one- I revolution cylinder cutter/crease creaser presses which permits the latter to work on relatively thicker sheets than heretofore, and which further permits diecut portions of each sheet inga pin 23 on which a drive gear-'24 is rotatably mounted;

Gear 24 meshes with a rack (not shown) on bed 18 and with a during which a reduced radius portion of the cylinder is at the bottom thereof to clear die 17.

to be held in place by relatively-few nicks" without the danger that such diecut portions will be inadvertently detached either during delivery or thereafter.

In existing one-revolution cylinder cutter/creaser presses, for example, as produced by Schnellpressenfabrik A.G. Heidelberg nientioned previously herein, the grippers 16 are suitably opened at the back of cylinder l2 where thesheet that In accordance with an aspect of this invention, the delivery has been cut and/or creased isreleased from the impression device for a one-revolution cylinder cutter/creaser press has cylinder and taken up by a delivery device 26. As shown parrods 34 ext en ng path having a rearwardly directed upper run 35 connected ticularly on FIG. 2, the known delivery device 26 includes parallel chairts 2 7 running arfound sprockets 28 and 29 on suitably; difiVQfl.

shafts 1j30. and 31, respectively, which are iv'elysmall and large distances from the back that a set of sheet grippers 32 mounted on "-between chains 27 will move in a closed sheet at the beginning or forward end of upper run 35 to take up the'sheet from cylinder 12 as grippers 16 open, and the grippers 32 remain closed until they enter lower run 37 where the grippers are opened to transfer the sheet onto a reciprocated carriage 38 where it is gripped by fingers 38a.

After receiving a sheet from lower run 37, carriage 38 is moved forwardly to the position shown in full lines on FIG. 2

and then rearwardly from under delivery device 26 to a position indicated in broken lines at 38 where it is disposed above a delivery pile 39. Upon the arrival of the carriage at its rearward position 38, gripping fingers 38a are opened by suitable 'carns (not shown) and oscillated stripping fingers 40 mounted on a lateral shaft 41 are moved upwardly to their operative positions, as indicated in broken lines at 40 where the ends of fingers 40 extend above the front edge of the sheet on carriage 38 to strip such sheet from the carriage when the latter is returned forwardly to its position shown in full lines.

It will be apparent that, with the above-described arrangement of delivery device 26, as in existing onerevolution cylinder cutter/creaser presses, each cut and/or creased sheet is sharply bent or curved as it moves with grippers 32 holding the sheet through the arcuate path portion 36 between upper and lower runs 35 and 37. Such sharp bending or curving of each sheet limits thethickness of sheet material that can be cut and/or creased by press 10. Further, the sharp bending or curving of each sheet by delivery device 26 tends to tear the nicksf by which diecut portions of each sheet are held against inadvertent removal from the remainder of the sheet, whereby it is necessary to employ relatively large numbers of nicks with consequent adverse affects upon the appearance of the finished product.

It will also be seen that each sheet is moving forwardly upon its release by grippers 32 at the forward end of lower run 37 and is then moved rearwardly by carriage 38. This sharp reversal of the direction of movement of each sheet inherently limits the rate at which sheets can be delivered, and consequently limits the rate at which press can cut and/or crease the sheets.

' Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, wherein parts corresponding to those described above with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 are identified by the same reference numerals, it will be seen that the foregoing disadvantages of the existing delivery device are avoided according to this invention by providing a delivery device 126 having grippers 32 moved in a closed path, as aforesaid, but with such grippers being opened, as hereinafter described in detail, as they near the back end of the upper rearwardly directed run 35. Thus, each sheet taken up from cylinder 12 by grippers 32 at the forward end of upper run 35 is propelled or delivered rearwardly from upper run 35 without being bent or curved by travel through arcuate path portion 36. As shown on FIG. 5, opening ofgrippers 32 at the .back end of upper run 35 can be simply achieved by a cam 42 of geneifally C-shaped configuration mounted, as at 43, on a sidewall of frame 11' adjacent shaft 31 so as to be engageable by the usual cam-follower rollers 44 associated with grippers 32 respectively. As the set of grippers 32 moves to and through arcuate path portion 36, the roller 44 engages cam 42 to rock the respective grippers to open position. Upon moving into lower run 37, roller 44 moves off cam 42 to permit reclos ing of grippers 32 until such grippers near the forward end of lower run 37 where the grippers are again opened, as by the conventional cam 45 (FIG. 5), for taking u each sheet released from cylinder l2.

Since carriage 38 nolonger receives each sheet from lower run 37 for transport bycarriage 38 to the position above delivery pile 39, it is necessary to retime the reciprocating movements of carriage 38 in relation to the movements of grippers 32. Such retiming is effectedsimply, for example, merely by changing the meshing positions of gears in the usual gear train (not shown) through which carriage-38 isdriven, to ensure that carriage 38=isdisposed inthe position shown in full lines on FIG. 3, that is, above delivery'pile 39,- as each sheet is;

Accordingly, the delivery device 126 of this inventiorii.

further has guiding means 46 (FIGS. 3 and 4) disposed in back of the back end of run 35 and at an elevation thatis selected so that as each sheet is propelled rearwardlydrya downwardly inclined plane, the leading edge portion of the. sheet glances upwardly off guide means 46. Such glancing. contact of the sheet with guide means 46 absorbs some of the inertia of the rearwardly propelled sheet and further alters the angle of attack of the sheet, as indicated by the arrows on FIG. 3, so that there is increased air resistance or frictional drag for further slowing the sheet. As shown, guide means 46 preferably consists of members 47, for example, in the form of discs, eccentrically mounted at laterallyspaced locations on a rod 48 and being held in angular ly'adjus ted positions, as by setscrews (not shown), so that the tops of discs 47 are at the desired positions relative to the path along whichthe successive sheets are discharged from run 35.

The slowed movement of eachsheet is finally arrested by impingement of the leading sheet edge against a stop member 49 which extends laterally across the path of the sheet as determined by guide means 46. Preferably, stop member 49 is of sheet metal and, as shown on FIG. 3, has an inclined upper portion leading to a vertical lower portionwhich is aligned with the back edge of the sheets in delivery pile 39. Thus, as each sheet, after striking stop member 49, settles downwardly onto carriage 38, the back edge of the sheet is guided into alignment with the back edge of delivery pile 39. Simultaneously, the forward edge of each settling sheet is guided by members 50 which are pivotally suspended from rod 48 and. pass in back of shaft 41 carrying the stripping members 40.

The carriage 38 has the usual construction, but with the gripping fingers 38a removed therefrom, and consists of a crossmember 51 from which a series of parallel, laterally spaced rods 52 extend rearwardly. As shown, the members 50 extend between rods 52 below the plane tangent to the top surfaces of the latter, and members 50 are shaped so that, when engaged with shaft 41, as on FIG. 3, the back surfaces of members 50 are in vertical alignment with the front edge of delivery pile 39. It will be apparent that, when carriage 38 is returned from the position shown in full lines on FIG. 3 to the position shown in broken lines, the front edge of a sheet disposed on rods 52 of carriage 38 engages members 50 which cannot move forwardly by reason of their engagement with shaft 41. Thus, members 50 strip the sheet from carriage 38 to gently deposit the sheet on delivery pile 39. The usual stripping members 40 cannot be relied upon for this function in the delivery device 126 according to this invention as such stripping members 40 do not extend high enough, that is, there is the possibility that the descending sheet will bounce forwardly off member 49 and thereby project its forward edge past the tops of stripping members 40. Further, stripping members 40 only move to their operative positionsafter the carriage has attained its rearmost position, and thus may not be in their operative positions when asheet descends onto carriage 38.

In order to laterally guide each sheet propelled rearwardly from run 35, delivery device 126 further includes side guides 53 having inwardly inclined upper portions leading to vertical lower portions which are aligned with the side edges of delivery pile 39. Thus, each sheet discharged from upper run 35 and descending between side guides 53 onto carriage 38 is brought into lateral alignment with delivery pile 39 so as to be accurately positioned on the latter when the sheet is stripped from the carriage, as described above.

Since the grippers 32 may not be fully closed as they move from arcuate path portion 36 to lower run 37, and since the retimed reciprocation of carriage 38 may cause the latter to move under such .partly open grippers, it is desirable that crossmember 51 of carriage 38 have slots 54 (HO. 3) cut in its upper surface at the lateral locations-of the grippers to ensure clearance for the latter.

Since the delivery device 126 according to this invention does not effect anyreversals of the direction of travel of the delivered sheets and slows the delivered sheets by the combined action of the glancing contact thereof with guide members 47 and of increased air friction, the delivery device 126 can receive and deliver cut and/or creased sheets at a very high rate, thereby to permit an increased rate of operation of the associated press. It will also be apparent that the delivered sheets are not sharply curved or bent, and thus the diecut portions thereof can be held against inadvertent removal by a relatively small number of nicks to improve the appearance of the diecut products when the diecut portions are finally removed.

Further, it will be apparent that the delivery device 126 achieves the foregoing advantageous results with a minimum of simple alterations and additions to the previously existing press and its delivery device 26.

Although an illustrative embodiment of this invention has been described in detail herein with reference to the accompanying drawings. it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to that precise embodiment, and that various changes and modifications may be effected therein by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

We claim: a

1. In a one-revolution cylinder cutter/creaser press including an impression cylinder to support each sheet during the cutting/creasing thereof, sheet delivery grippers moved in a closed path having an upper run directed rearwardly from adjacent the back of said impressioncylinder and connected through an arcuate path portion to a forwardly directed lower run, means to close said grippers upon the leading edge of a sheet carried by said impression cylinder so as to take up such sheet at the beginning of said upper run, and a carriage reciprocated between a forward position under said lower run means to stripeach sheet from the carriage includes guide A members pivotally suspended from said lateral support rod to and a rearward position overlying a delivery pile; the combination of means to open said grippers at the back end'of said upper run so that each sheet is propelled rearwardly from said upper run in a discharge path which is substantially a continuation of said upper run, means projecting from below into said discharge path for glancing engagement by each rearwardly propelled sheet to absorb part of the inertia of the latter and to change its angle of attach for increased air resistance, whereby to slow the rearwardly propelled sheet, means engageable with the slowed sheet to guide the latter downwardly onto said carriage in said rearward position of the latter, and means to strip each sheet from said carriage for deposit on said delivery pile upon return of said carriage to its said forward position.

2. A cutter/creaser press according to claim 1, in which said means to open said grippers includes a cam extending from said back end of the upper run along said arcuate path portion.

3. A cutter/creaser press according to claim 1, in which said means projecting from below into said discharge path includes disclike members eccentrically mounted on a lateral support rod so as to permit varying of the rojec tion thereof into said discharge path by turning of san disclike members on said rod.

4. A cutter/creaser press according to claim 3, in which said means to guide the slowed sheet downwardly onto the carriage includes a stop member extending laterally across said discharge path for engagement by the leading edge of each slowed sheet.

5. A cutter/creaser press according to claim 4, in which said stop member includes an inclined upper portion leading to a vertical lower portion which is aligned with the back of said delivery pile and extends downwardly approximately to said carriage in said rearward position.

6. A cutter/creaser press according to claim 5, in which said means to guide the ls slower slowed, sheet downwardly onto the carriage includes side guides having inwardly inclined portions at opposite sides of said discharge path leading to vertical lower portions which are alignedwith the sides of said delivery pile and extend downwardly approximately to said carriage in said rearward position.

7. A cutter/creaser press according to claim 3, in which said below the level of a sheet on said carriage in said rearward position for engagement with the forward edge of a sheet settled onto the carriage, and means limiting forward swinging of said guide members to positions where the back surfaces of the latter, at said level of a sheet on the carriage is aligned with the front of said delivery pile. 

